By Dr. David Eifrig
THE REAL DANGER IS MISINFORMATION COVID-19 Debunked
One of the biggest killers during any health crisis is a lack of clear communication. Nothing puts that into clearer perspective more than Walter’s story (name changed for privacy). Walter recently started to have panic attacks. The reason: He’d heard that cancer patients were more likely to die from the coronavirus/COVID-19. And the more he read, the more fearful and stressed he became. He was terrified. He had survived cancer, but now he worried he might not survive this pandemic. What Walter heard wasn’t totally false... If you’re currently on immunosuppressing treatment for cancer, you’re at a much higher risk for complications and death from COVID-19. Some folks are now faced with the incredibly difficult decision: Do I go to the hospital for chemo and risk getting the virus or stay home and miss my cancer treatment? But Walter was in remission. He panicked because the news report failed to explain that only folks currently in treatment were at high risk. At more than five years in remission, Walter was likely just fine (especially since he’s under 60 and in good health otherwise).
That kind of failure to communicate drives me nuts. Walter’s panic attacks could have spiraled to chest pains, which would have required medical care (taxing our already stressed medical facilities). Stress also lowers the immune system, which would leave Walter more vulnerable to infection, too. Worse, feeling panicked and stressed over something we can’t control means we’re more likely to search out information to comfort us. Even latching on to ridiculous “at home” tests – like holding your breath for 10 seconds – is a way for us to try and bring a sense of control to our lives. (This is not a test for COVID-19, so don’t do it.) During this time of crisis, we tend to tune in to news sources and forget to view them critically. Please, follow reputable sources. Limit your news time to reduce your anxiety. And if you see anything that relates to your own health situation, please call or message your doctor. Here are some of the rumors we’ve seen recently... debunked and dispelled.
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American Consequences
33
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